Case Summary

Career management can be reinforced by examining the hypothetical but realistic career
portraits. That is why we were given two cases of real managers who were struggling in their
respective positions and one of them successfully came out of this. What were the things that
made her journey different than the other manager, how she actually dealt with her obstacles and
what new she had done with her career, are the tools and techniques that we can learn from.
Michele Terry, serving a bank as a marketing manager, was upset because some of the staff she
hired got promoted and her desire of becoming the President was falling apart. She wanted to
change the job but after 15 attempts she decided to reexamined and rearrange her priorities. She
concentrated on broadening the scope of her current position and started taking trainings and
workshop on community reinvestment and convinced her boss to take a risk. Her performance
was satisfactory and her recent performance appraisal was outstanding.
On the other hand, Joe Francis, a 39 year old man, rapid rise to the position of Vice President in
a software development firm, was a quite surprise to him. Where his performance in the regional
and district level was legendary, he started doubting his excellence. His salary reached a figure
of six but his contribution to the firm was gnawing. His comments to the research department
had fallen on deaf ears. And suddenly he was fired.
This is the perfect example of the quote it takes much struggle to reach high, but few can digest
the wave of sudden success, and that is why a continuous improvement of ourselves, career
exploring, mapping and shaping play a significant role.

Career Exploration
Career Exploration is the process of learning about oneself and the world of work, identifying
and exploring potentially satisfying occupations and developing an effective strategy to realize
ones goals.
Career Exploration is the process of...

learning about oneself and the world of work

identifying and exploring potentially satisfying occupations

developing an effective strategy to realize ones goals

Career exploration involves:

Self-Discovery: Get to know yourself. Learn your values, interests, traits, and skills.
Exploration: Gain hands on experience, try new things, and research your options, make
connections. Dont limit yourself.
Making Decisions: Meet with your career counselor to evaluate options and create a strategic
career plan.
Implementation: Create and polish your job search skills including: resumes, cover letters, and
interviewing.

Types of Career Exploration

A youths decision of which career path to choose is often guided by information-seeking
activities. This information seeking should include both internal and external exploration. Author
J. Zikic indicates there are two types of career exploration: self-exploration and environmental
exploration.
Self-exploration is reflection of ones self and focuses on defining and exploring ones own
interests, values, previous experiences, dreams and career goals. It is cognitive, internal and
involves personal reflection. It often includes completing inventories and assessments. Zickic
comments, As a result of self-exploration, individuals obtain a clearer perspective on their
desires and abilities and possibly the types of work environments they want to avoid
Environmental exploration involves a more active process of collecting new information on jobs,
organizations, occupations or industries and allows for more informed career decision-making.
This type of exploration is behavioral in nature and may include informational interviewing,
computer research, job shadowing, internships or attending network events or career fairs.

While these two types of exploration are independent, they are also not exclusive to cognitive or
behavioral action. Self-exploration can also include soliciting and discussing feedback with
others, or working with mentors or coaches to gain self-insight. Environmental exploration can
contain cognitive reflection of personal experiences in interviews, employment settings, job
shadowing experiences or internships.

Q: 1(a) What specific career exploration activities have Michele and

Joe undertaken to gather information about themselves (their
values, needs, abilities, interests, and desired life style) and their
environment (different jobs, employers, industries, their families)?
What could each of them have done to acquire more information?
Answer:
Personal Information

Michele Terry
Values:
Promotion should be based on experience.
Providing competitive service to the society as a part of bank.
Emphasize on the personal goal.
Needs:
An MBA degree.
Multidimensional job experience
Image of an officer.
Abilities:
Bachelor degree.
Competency in marketing service.
Serve as a mentor for the young professionals to get their career established.

Interests:
Post of the President
Desired Life Style:
Wanted money and status and opportunity to affect broad policies to serve the community.

Joe Francis
Values:
Higher degree of job commitment.
Strong sense of quality work.
Little attachment with the family.
Legendary performance at the district and regional level.
Pleased with the status in the company.
Needs:
No career advancement was desired, satisfied with the job as sales representative.
Stay at present job for the sake of his family.
Needs attention to his work for staying at the present job.
Abilities:
Legendary sales performance.
Strong reservations about the quality of Infoteks products.
Interest:
Sales to pencil pushing and administration
Give his family a luxurious life.
Desired life style:
He was not so ambitious but for his family he became pretty accustomed to the good life.
Environmental Information
4

Michele Terry
Different jobs:
Unable to get another job.
Employer:
Federal Bank, a medium sized financial institution.
Industry:
Financial service industry.
Families:
A supportive husband,
Children and infant grandchild.

Joe Francis
Different jobs:
Did different types of job in the same organization starting from sales representative to vice
president of sales.
Employer:
Infotek-a computer software development firm.
Industry:
Service industry
Family:
Consists of children and wife.
Activity to acquire more information

Michele Terry
Seat in the interview for 15 times in the last 5 years.
Spoke with officers of other institutions in the financial service industry and the
environmental exploration has done perfectly.
5

 Self- evaluation and re-examination of personal goal.

Joe Francis
Joe was satisfied with his post and was not concerned about the environmental change and
employee behaviour, thats why he didnt go for further career exploration

Q: 1(b) How much insight do Michele and Joe currently have about
themselves and their environment?
Answer:

Michele Terry
Self-insight
Has a clear career goal.
Has ambition to be the president.
Didnt develop and implement career strategies properly.
Not aware of working ability of innovative project, but later discover her ability.
Environmental-insight
Aware of having a good relationship with young managers.
Aware of having good appraisal from peers and supervisors.
Aware of having good relationship with family.

Joe Francis
Self-insight
He was satisfied with his career.
Didnt go for further career exploration and goal setting, strategy development and strategy
implementation.
Environmental-insight
Was not aware of environmental change and the attitude of his employer.

Career Goals
A goal is the object or aim of one's actions. Goals provide opportunities for feedback on task
performance.
A career goal is a desired career- related outcome that a person intends to attain. Career goal
setting is a useful and productive process. The presence of a career goal should not cause
inflexibility in the management of one's career.
The career goal is simply a descriptive target toward which one aim; it does not specify how one
gets to the desired end state.

Q: 2(a) Does Michele currently have a career goal? If so, what is it

and is it different from the goal she had earlier in her career? Has it
helped her achieve her Preferred Work Environment? If not,
explain why you believe that Michele does not currently have a
career goal.
Answer:
Yes, Michele currently has a career goal. Her current goal is broadening the scope of her current
position.
Her current goal is different from the goal she had earlier in her career. Because earlier her goal
was to go to the upper position as to become the president of Federal Bank. But now she has
given up her dream of becoming the president of the bank. Now she has concentrated on
broadening the scope of her current position. She has enrolled in several training seminars and
has begun to serve as a mentor to several Federal's younger managers.
The current goal has helped her achieve her preferred work environment. Now she is more
relaxed and better able to enjoy her family. She has been able to encourage her husband to switch
to a more personally satisfying career field. She can spend more time with her children and
grandchild. She has also rekindled her interest in the local political scene.

Q: 2(b) Is Michele currently decided or undecided about her future

career? If decided, does she appear to be vigilant or hypervigilant?
If undecided, does she appear to be developmentally or chronically
undecided?
Answer: Michele Terryis currently decided about her future. She appears to be vigilant, because
she has derived her new conceptual goal To affect broad policies to make inroads in the services
that banks could provide to the community which was the reason of her previous long term
operational goal to become the president of the bank. She has selected her current goal in a
well-informed manner with low level of anxiety and stress. For this, she has reexamined her
previous career goal and conducted a thorough assessment of her interests, values, abilities, life
style preferences and work environment.

To attain her goal She is broadening the scope of her current position by looking for ways to influence the
banks approach to community reinvestment.
She is enrolling in several training seminars on community reinvestment.
She is being able to convince her boss to allow her to allow her to chair a taskforce on
new market development.
She is working as mentor and helping several of Federals younger managers, helping
them get their career established.

She is now satisfied with her current position as Her recent performance appraisal is outstanding.
Her marketing group is working on several innovative projects, the task force headed by
Michele is making real success.
Better able to enjoy her family life.

Q: 2(c) Did Joe have a career goal throughout his career with
Infotek? If so, what is it and how did he arrive at it? Has it helped
him achieve his Preferred Work Environment? If not, explain why
you believe that Joe does not have a career goal.
Answer:
He did not seek the position, always preferring sales to pencil-pushing and
administration.
Joe always preferred to work in sales than to pen or pencil pushing. Fortunately he started his
career in sale and marketing and initial stage he has done very well. His performance was
legendary in sales which brought about success beyond his imagination. But he did not have
a plan to be a pen-pusher or to hold the position of administration. After getting success and
handsome amount of salary, he did not bother anymore. Since he became pretty accustomed
to the luxurious life style because of his family, he had need of big cash inflow. It is clear
that throughout his career with Infotek he did not own a clear goal. Though he started his
career in his preferred field (sales), he did not plan for future.
At the age of 39 he became the vice president of Infotek what he did not desired ever.
Unexpected success made him a little lazy. Again he is suppressive in nature. He never
showed his feelings. His family expensive consumption style, two of his high school going
children and six figures salary amount did not let him take time to plan his career. Whatever
comes to his life, he accepted and he never try put any effort passionately on it. The position
of vice president was more administrative job where he needed lead his team and keep
following up them. But Joe was satisfied with his job position and was not concerned about
the environmental change and employee behavior. That is why he did not go for further
career exploration, goal setting, strategy development and strategy implementation.

Q: 2(d) Is Joe currently decided or undecided about his future

career? If decided, does he appeared to be vigilant or hypervigilant?
If undecided, does he appear to be developmentally or chronically
undecided?
Answer:
Joe left the meeting in a state of shock. Although relieved that his frustrating experiences
at Infotek were coming to an end, Joe was scared to death. How will he tell his wife? And
what will he do next? He hadnt slightest idea.

Now Joe is going through a severe situation. He is too much fluctuated but he is not getting any
way to expose it since he is suppressive in nature. It is transparent; he is currently completely
undecided about his future career.
It is difficult put comment whether he is developmentally or chronically undecided. Since the
case of Joe Francis previously he was undecided regarding his career path as his vice presidential
promotion was out of his thought what can be concluded by developmentally undecided. He was
unable to articulate career goals and his career decision scale was low. But later on he appears to
be chronically undecided. Now his chronic career indecision is associated with anxiety, external
locus identity, poor confidence level. Now he is scared to death. He does not have slightest idea
of what to do. Hence he is chronically undecided.

Career Strategies:
Career strategies are activities designed to help a person meet career goals. They involve
conscious individual choices as to which human capital investments to make and which to avoid.
A career strategy is a structured approach to developing capabilities, tools and resources in an
organization, which will enable people to navigate the career journey successfully. Individuals
must set career goals and pursue career strategies that give them the greatest chances of personal
& professional success.

Types of Career Strategies

There are 7 common types of career strategies that are used in attaining a career goal. These
include:
1. Competence in Current job- The attempt to perform effectively ones current job.
2. Extended Work Involvement- The decision to devote considerable amounts of time,
energy, and emotion to ones work role. It is often considered a contributor to competence in
the present job. It might also interfere with family and personal life.
3. Skill Development- The attempt to acquire or enhance work-related skills and abilities
through education, training, and/or job experience. It is intended to help ones performance
on ones current job or could be used on a future job.
4. Opportunity Development- Actions designed to have ones interests and aspirations known
to others and to become aware of opportunities that are consistent with those aspirations.
5. Development of Mentor and other Supportive Alliances- Actions designed to seek,
establish, and use relationships with a significant other to receive or provide information,
guidance, support, and opportunities. Although a major function of the mentoring process is

10

to receive (or give) information, the mentoring relationship goes beyond the mere exchange
of information and has a deeper emotional meaning.
6. Image Building- The attempt to communicate the appearance of acceptability, success,
and/or potential for success. It also can include the acceptance and completion of high profile
assignments that build ones reputation within the organization.
7. Organizational Politics- The attempt to use flattery, conformity, coalition, and trading of
favors and influence as a means for attaining desired outcomes. It can include overt and covrt
actions, such as sabotage and other self-serving behaviors, that raise ones standing in the
organization possibly at the expense of others.
Individuals may adopt one or more of these strategies; that can be the drive for growth in their
personal career paths. These strategies are designed to allow an individual to adhere to and
utilize how he or she may choose to.

Q: 3(a) What specific career strategies has Michele implemented?

Were they effective? Why or why not?
Answer:
Michele has implemented several career strategies effectively. Those are given below:
i)

Competence in Current JobMicheles longtime ambition was to become the president of Federal Bank. But after
the recent performance appraisal meeting with her superior, an assistant vice
president, she understood that she will most likely to retire at her current level. She
found her goal personally important and so she had at least 15 interviews during the
past 5 years with other banks but got negative response as all the institutions were
hiring MBAs and Michele had only a bachelors degree. Michele was competent
enough but did not have sufficiently varied experiences in the financial services
industry.
In addition to money and status, Michele wanted to become president of the bank
because she wanted the opportunity to affect broad policies to make inroads in the
services that banks could provide to the community. Therefore, she concentrated on
broadening the scope of her current position by looking for ways to influence the
banks approach to community reinvestment.

ii)

Skill & Opportunity DevelopmentMichele enrolled in several training seminars on community reinvestment and
convinced her boss that she should chair a taskforce on new market development. She
11

also began to serve as a mentor to several of Federals younger managers, helping

them get their careers established and perhaps avoid some of the mistakes she may
have made earlier in her career.
iii)

Image buildingHer marketing group is working on several innovative projects, the task force she
heads is making real progress and now she is a respected contributor at the bank.

For the effective implementation of these career strategies Michele seems more relaxed and
is better able to enjoy her family, her most recent performance appraisal was outstanding and
she is deriving great pleasure from her relationships with several of the banks younger
managers.

Q: 3(b) What specific career strategies has Joe implemented? Were

they effective? Why or why not?
Answer:
Joe Francis implemented organizational politics as a career strategy.
This strategy was not effective.
Since he was happy with his past position as sales representative at infotek, his performance was
outstanding. That was his comfort zone. But his promotion to the vice presidency was surprising
to him and he felt more responsibility and work pressure on his shoulder. But the high salary
provoked him to stay in that position. Moreover the increasing demand from the family was main
reason to trade with his feeling inspite of having disgraceful to his work and organization. He
found some serious issues on their products but he didnt tell. So, he conformed to the situation
for attaining his desired outcome.
As he was depressed and couldnt concentrate on his work he didnt give his best effort to the
company. As a result he missed several meetings. His interaction with the top managers was very
low. The expectations which top managers desired from him were not met by him. So he got
fired from the job.

12

Conclusion
Hereby, it can be said that, Michele Terry and Joe Francis have completely different career
explorations, career goals and career strategies. In case of Michele Terry, She worked hard for
her desired goals. But she was disappointed and couldnt get the position for which she worked
very hard. But she didnt give up so she started to explore her and her career. She expanded her
area of work to become more capable by taking training. She had complete directions and
enough plan for the betterment of her career. On the other hand, Joe Francis, who was excellent
in his area of sales, became frustrated after his promotion to the vice presidency position. Joe
Francis had not clear idea about his career. He had also some problems against his companys
products but he couldnt raise his voice. As a result, in spite of having promotion, he didnt give
his best to the company. Even, he started to miss the meetings and interactions with the top
management. So, Joe Francis got fired and after being fired, Joe Francis had no plan what about
his career development and what would he do next.

13

References:
1. Career Management by Jeffrey H. Greenhaus, Gerard A. Callanan, Veronicam Godshalk;
Third Edition.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Career_management
3. https://www.intranet.fse.ulaval.ca/fichiers/public/prof/pub_1626__GuayRatelleSenecal
LaroseDeschesne_2006.pdf
4. www.businessdictionary.com/definition/career-exploration.html
5. www.phiblue.co.za/2011/01/11/types-of-career-strategies/

14